Bulk Editing Tools for SharePoint Online
If you’ve been looking for methods to change properties in multiple SharePoint items or documents at once, you’ve come to the right place. We’ll show you a built-in option and an alternative that is way more robust.
#1 Bulk Editing in SharePoint Online
Support for bulk editing was introduced in Office 365 SharePoint Online sites as part of a January 2018 update. Using this feature, you can select and update several list item properties simultaneously. Note that this feature only works within modern list view, so make sure you’re using it before moving on.
The process is straightforward: select the items you want to update and click on the details pane. There, you will see fields corresponding to item property columns. Fill in those fields, click Save and all the selected items will be updated accordingly.
#2 JungleDocs Update Rules
Bulk metadata editing in SharePoint Online does exactly what it says. However, we know from hands-on experience that users often need a more sophisticated bulk editing solution. For this reason, we created Update rules – a feature within JungleDocs for Office 365. Let’s take a look at the main benefits of Update rules in comparison with standard bulk editing.
Column Value Automation
Quite often, when managing new items or documents, you will want to update the exact same property – or a set of properties – again and again (e.g., changing client status). This scenario begs for some sort of automation.
An Update rule works as a template – a collection of pre-defined changes – that you can set up once and then apply with a click of a button. Needless to say, templates can save you a lot of time in the long run.
Whereas native bulk editing is limited to SharePoint list items, Update rules support mass changing properties in both items and documents.
Batch Renaming
Along with properties, you can also use Update rules to bulk edit document filenames – and not only that, but you will have quite a few file naming options to help you. Among other things, your Update rule can be modified to automatically insert a specified text, various types of separators, or a number sequence. All changes are instantly visible in a filename preview.
On top of that, you can use formulas in the filename to, say, retrieve the first word from a specified column value or to automatically calculate and insert tomorrow’s date into a filename. Whatever file naming convention you are following, it can be automated with JungleDocs for Office 365.
Dynamic Saving Path
It is often necessary (or convenient) not only to rewrite documents’ properties but to move those documents to a different folder afterwards. For example, you may want to relocate your leads to another directory after they become customers, along with some changes or additions in their metadata.
Using Update rules, you can set up dynamic saving path so that files are automatically relocated to predetermined folders, with new folders created if necessary. You can also apply certain conditions, e.g., have a folder named after a specific column value, current date and some other criteria.
And there you have it: 2 ways to bulk edit items and documents in SharePoint Online – a basic and an automated one. Which one would you prefer and do you know of other approaches?
